Fuel cell systems provide a good alternative to fossil fuels as an energy source due to the renewable nature of the fuel and the low carbon footprint of energy production. Fuel cell systems typically include a fuel cell arrangement, which converts a fuel into electricity, and a fuel supply, which supplies fuel to the fuel cell arrangement. The primary consideration for the success of these fuel supplies is the energy density of the fuel supply, or the amount of fuel that can be stored per unit volume.
Of the plurality of fuel supply options available, metal hydride sources stand out as a volumetrically efficient means of storing fuel. This is due to the way fuel is stored—the metal hydride sources store fuel in a chemically bound form, which allows for higher energy densities than pressurized, gaseous fuel. However, metal hydrides expand during fuel release. Conventional fuel supplies that leverage metal hydrides accommodate for this expansion by leaving extra room within the fuel source. Unfortunately, this leads to a lower overall energy density for the fuel source.
Thus, there is a need in the fuel cell field to create a new and useful fuel source that reduces metal hydride expansion during fuel release.